The team behind Wellensteyn, the iconic outdoor coat company that caters to fashion and function, is sharing exciting plans to open its first store in Canada. Slated to open in fall 2023, markets of interest includes British Columbia and Ontario.  The Wellensteyn brand dates back to 1940s Germany when Adolf Wuttke, a welding rod dealer who made instruments used to help explore the depths of the North Sea, set out to create the best quality outerwear for men. Initially targeted to those working in the shipyards and on the water, the parkas were made with unique waxed sailcloth designed to ..read more

Meili Nails, a fun new retail nail bar concept, is ready to establish its brand and its footprint in Ontario.  The start-up offers nail care services, such as manicures, nail enhancements and gels, as well as facials.  The spaces will be super on trend, fun and feminine, with a nod to Asian culture. This new concept is about more than nails, it reflects a trendy lifestyle in a gorgeous and setting that the visionaries behind the business describe as “irresistibly chic, a little bougie and perfectly pink.” The idea is to create a space that is at once relaxing and Instagrammable ..read more

Columbus Café & Co, the famed French coffee house, is expanding in Quebec with an ambitious goal of opening a new location every month.  The dynamic brand is well on its way of this goal, with two recent openings and another scheduled to open nex week.  Recent openings include two Montreal locations at 262 and 2153 rue Sainte-Catherine. Next week marks the debut of a 2,088-sq.-ft. location with drive-thru at 269 Rue Sicard in Sainte-Thérèse, Que. Plus, another Columbus Café & Co is under construction at 5526 Ave de Monkland, a 1300-sq.-ft. former Starbucks space.  In add ..read more

Travellers Currency Exchange (TCX) is marking the opening of its 16th location with at 150 sq.-ft. kiosk at Promenades Gatineau. Promenades Gatineau is well located in Canada's National Capital Region at the busy intersection of Gréber and Maloney Boulevards, just off Autoroute 50, in Gatineau Que. Owned by Oxford Properties, it is home to more than 150 stores. This is just the beginning of a period of exciting expansion for the reputable foreign exchange provider. TCX is filling a gap in the market, taking over former International Currency Exchange locations in enclosed malls and converting ..read more

Eyewear and eye care company Oscar Wylee is to open three new locations, after signing leases with some of Canada’s top shopping centres. First up, Oscar Wylee is to open at CF Richmond Centre in Richmond, B.C. before the end of the year. In addition, the company plans to open in Q1 2023 at CF Markville, a premium shopping centre with more than 140 stores in Markham, Ont., and CF Carrefour Laval in Laval, Quebec. The Richmond and Laval locations mark provincial debuts for the brand and what amazing regional shopping centres in which to make its mark. Oscar Wylee will be right at home among top ..read more

Place Mascouche is the place to be for smoked meat aficionados, as Montreal-based Rock'n Deli debuts a new location in Mascouche, an off-island suburb of Montreal. Rock’n Deli is a Montreal institution that debuted in the Gourmet Area at Carrefour Laval in 1992 and carved a reputation for its authentic Montreal-style smoked meat.  It’s new 1,474-sq-ft. Place Mascouche restaurant marks Rock’n Deli’s 14th location—nine in its home province of Quebec and five in Ontario. In 2021, Rock’n Deli opened an incredible four locations, including in Vaudreuil-Dorian, a suburb of Greater Montreal; CF ..read more

Eyewear and eye care company Oscar Wylee is celebrating the opening of its sixth store in Canada, less than a year after making its debut here.  The new 1,094-sq.-ft. store is now open at Oshawa Centre, Durham Region’s largest shopping centre. Oscar Wylee is in good company at the two-storey shopping mall, which is located in Oshawa, Ont., just east of Toronto. The mall is home to more than 230 high-profile tenants.  This is just the beginning for Oscar Wylee’s Canadian vision—three more locations will be announced soon and more growth is on the horizon. The Australian company debute ..read more

Foodtastic Inc. continues to strategically build its restaurant portfolio with the acquisition of a majority interest in Shoeless Joe's Sports Grill. A neighbourhood sports bar, the first Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill opened on Eglinton Avenue in Toronto in 1985 and soon attracted the attention of investor Fred Lopreiato, who saw major potential in the brand. As owner, Lopreiato kicked off expansion and introduced franchising in 1997, growing the concept nationally.Today the sports-themed casual dining restaurant chain has 22 restaurants across Canada.  Named for Joe Jackson, who came from ..read more

After 10 glorious years at Bayview Village, Le Creuset is ready for a change. The colorful cookware and tableware isn’t moving on, but rather moving up, with a fabulous new space in the heart of the Toronto-area shopping centre.  Bayview Village is itself in the midst of major change, with plans underway to modernize the destination shopping space with a mixed-use vision that incorporates the best in retail and residential to create a community-gathering space like no other.  The new 1,000-sq.-ft. Le Creuset store is strategically situated in the main mall, directly across from Sepho ..read more

Just in time for summer, French chocolatier and ice cream house Jeff de Bruges is to debut in late June at Carrefour Laval. The 904-sq.-ft. location takes over the former Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory space, which is ideally situated facing the food court.  This is Jeff de Bruges’ third store in Canada (all in Quebec), but it won’t be the last, as the plan is to open more sites in the province in 2022—target areas include, Mont Royal St, South Shore and Quebec City. The company will consider both high streets and super regional malls. Kiosks and inline spaces of 600 to 1,000 sq. ft. ar ..read more